Safety cutter edge box

ABSTRACT

Cutter edge box for containing and dispensing web sheet material such as waxed paper, plastic film, metal foil and the like while in roll form. The box being provided with a cutter edge to facilitate severing off a web portion of said sheet material after a desired length thereof has been withdrawn from the box. The cutter edge being so arranged on said box that in the original package said cutter edge is in a shielded or unexposed position whereby safety is afforded to anyone or anything coming into contact with the box and after the box is opened by the consumer the cutter edge is freely pivotable to a cutting position and back to the shielded position. The box being further provided with lid structure for clamping the sheet material against the support panel for the cutter edge during use thereof.

UEilied States Patent 1 1 1 1 3,722,767

Struble 14 1 Mar. 27, 1973 [54] SAFETY CUTTER-EDGE BOX Primary ExaminerAndrew R. Juhasz 75 Inventor: Glenn E. Struble, Fairfield, 01110 Aseim'1tEmmi'wrLeh Gildeh Attorney-Karl W. Flocks [73] Assignee: Diamond International Corporation,

New York, N.Y. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: 1971 Cutter edge box for containing and dispensing web [21] Appl. No: 133,980 sheet material such as waxed paper, plastic film, metal foil and the like while in roll form. The box being pro- 52 us. (:1 ..225/49, 225/52 vided with a cutter edge to facilitate severing a 51 Int. Cl. ..B26f 3/02 web Pmtio" Said Sheet material after a desk! 58 Field of Search ..225 48, 49, 20, 52, 77 length heeeef has been withdrawn hem The cutter edge being so arranged on said box that in the [56] References Cited original package said cutter edge is in a shielded or unexposed position whereby safety is afforded to any- UNITED STATES PATENTS one or anything coming into contact with the box and 3,285,483 11/1966 Helert ..225 4s after the box is Opened by the Consumer the Cutter 2,893,616 7/1959 Stell ....225/52 edge is freely pivotable to a cutting position and back 3,516,587 6/1970 Bjorklund .225/48 X to the shielded position. The box being further pro- 3281035 10/1966 wwdhng e e vided with lid structure for clamping the sheet materi- 3,477,624 11/1969 Branyon et al. ..225/48 X al against the support panel for the cutter edge during use thereof.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures I III/II PATENTEDMARZYIQB 3,722,767

I NVENTOR 29 l I I-26' l I l 29 15 GLENN E. STRUBLE FIG- i (KARL LQWFLOCKS ATTORNEY SAFETY CUTTER-EDGE BOX This invention relates to a box or carton for containing waxed paper, plastic film, metal foil and the like which is normally held in the box in roll form. More particularly this invention relates to a dispensing con tainer box with a cutter edge which is optionally pivoted to a cutting position or to a storage position for the safety of the user.

Cutter edge boxes of the conventional type are generally provided with a cutting element secured along an exposed edge of the box which occasionally results in unnecessary injury to the handler or user of the box and also occasional damage to furniture such as a table upon which the box may have been carelessly deposited. Numerous cutter edge dispensing box designs are in use. Few designs, however, incorporate safety features combined with the handiness provided in the present invention. Many of the conventional cutter boxes, for example, are provided with a cutter edge which is exposed as originally packaged by the processor or upon being opened by the ultimate user. The cutter edge of such boxes may very readily cut anyone who might happen to pick up the box without the proper care and attention and thus may inflict irritating if not serious injury. Further, such an exposed cutter edge could frequently scratch or mar furniture in the household if carelessly placed on a table, for example.

With the foregoing in mind an object of this invention is to provide an improved dispensing cutter box in which the cutter edge is so located that the risk of being cut or scratched thereby is eliminated.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved dispensing cutter box with lid means for gripping or clamping the sheet material against the cutter edge support member to stabilize the cutter edge during use thereof.

An additional object of this invention is to provide an improved dispensing cutter box in which the cutter edge may be placed in a sheathed or shielded position except when placed in cutting position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cutter edge which may be readily adjusted to and from shielded and cutting positions optionally by the user.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a cutter box in which the cutter edge may be selectively kept in a shielded or cutting position over an indefinite period of time.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dispensing cutter box in which there is a complete enclosure of the sheet material regardless of whether the cutter edge is in the shielded position or in the cutting position.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the cutter edge box according to this invention in the original unopened package form;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dispensing cutter box of this invention with the lid member open and the cutter edge of the box in its original upstanding shielded storage position;

FIG. 3 is an elevational section view of the cutter box looking at one end thereof showing the cutter element in cutting position and the lid member closed;

FIG. 4 is an elevational section view looking at one end of the cutter box with the cutter edge in the shielded storage position and the lid member closed thereover; and

FIG. 5 shows a blank cut to the desired form to fabricate the cutter box according to this invention.

With reference to the drawing it is seen that cutter edge dispensing box 10 according to this invention includes a bottom panel 11 to which is integrally connected at the front edge thereof an upstanding front wall panel 12. Integrally connected to the rear edge of the bottom panel 11 is an upstanding rear wall panel 13 to which is integrally connected a lid member 30 having a top panel 14. The top panel 14 of the lid member 30 includes a downwardly projecting front panel extension 15 and downwardly extending end flap extensions 19 which are overlaid upon the upper portion of an upwardly extending end panel 16 which is integral with 'the bottom panel 11. The downwardly extending front panel extension 15 comprises two substantially rectangular sections 25 and 26 which are integral with each other and bridged by score line 27. It is clearly seen in FIG. 1 that as originally packaged there is no exposed cutting edge. To gain initial access to the contents of the box 10 the substantially rectangular section 26 is lifted as shown in phantom and zippered or torn along score line 27. Beveled corner portions 29 are provided on opposite ends of section 26 to facilitate lifting thereof.

With the substantially rectangular section 26 of the lid member 30 tom or zippered away, the lid member 30 may be opened as shown in FIG. 2 to gain access to the sheet material S contained therein. The front wall panel 12 as shown in FIG. 2 includes a fixed lower section 21 and an upper section 22 which is adapted to pivot about a longitudinally extending score line 23 so that the cutter edge 24 which is secured to the free edge of section 22 may be optionally placed in its upstanding shielded storage position or in its folded cutting position. The score line 23 is located closer to the bottom of lower section 21 than the free edge of upper section 22 and thus assures effective cutting. The upper section 22 is represented as 22' in phantom to depict this section in an intermediate position between the storage and cutting positions and as hinged about score line 23.

The spatial relationship between the downwardly projecting section 25 of lid member 30 after the lower section 26 has been removed with respect to the front wall panel 12 is shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. It is noted in FIG. 3 that section 25 extends below the score line 23 so that it may be effectively clamped against a web portion of the sheet material S which is in contact with section 22 which has been folded against section 21 to place the cutter edge 24 into the cutting position. The clamping action of section 25 provides stability of the cutter edge 24 when the sheet material is folded thereagainst for cutting. The box 10 as shown in FIG. 3 is completely enclosed and after the sheet material S is cut and removed, the box 10 may be laid down with the cutting edge 24 in cutting position and the lid member 30 with its downwardly projecting front section 25 closed against the upper portion 22 of the front panel 12. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4 the box may be laid down after the cutter edge supporting section 22 has been pivoted to an upright position so that the lid member 30 with its downwardly projecting front section 25 may be placed in shielding relationship to the cutter edge 24 and providing a complete enclosure.

FIG. 5 shows a cardboard blank provided with all the necessary panels and flaps which are adaptable to be assembled into the box described above. The blank includes a first substantially rectangular elongated panel 11 which ultimately forms the bottom of the assembled box with a substantially rectangularly elongated panel 12 integral thereto at one side. The panel 12 which ultimately forms the front panel includes two substantially elongated sections 21 and 22 with a score line 23 intermediate thereof. The panel section 22 has a free edge to which a metal cutter edge 24 is to be attached. Extending from the other side of substantially rectangular elongated section 11 are some similar substantially rectangular elongated sections 13 and 14.

' Also, extending from section 14 is a substantially rectangular elongated section which comprises two sections 25 and 26 which are bridged by a score line 27. Section 26 is intended to form a sealing and closing member and may include beveled corner portions 29 to facilitate lifting and tearing by the consumer to gain access to the box which is to be formed by this blank. A pair of extensions 16 extending from opposite ends of section 11 are intended to ultimately serve as end walls of the box to be formed. A pair of flaps l7 and 18 extend from opposite ends of panels 12 and 13, respectively, and are to be folded in and secured to end wall extension 16 as by known adhesive means to form the box. A pair of flaps l9 and extend from opposite ends of panels 14 and 15, respectively, and are to be folded and glued together to form the lid member 30 for the box.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularly, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

l claim:

l. A safety dispensing cutter box for sheet material such as waxed paper, plastic film, metal foil or the like in roll form, said box being in the form of a hollow wall structure and comprising a front wall panel, a bottom panel, a rear wall panel, end wall panels, end flaps, a lid member hingedly connected to the top of said rear wall, said lid member including a top panel with downwardly extending end flap extensions and a downwardly extending front panel extension, said front panel extension including rearwardly extending end flap members fixedly attached to adjacent ones of said downwardly extending end flap members to form said lid member, characterized in that a cutter edge element is fixedly secured along the free edge of said front wall panel and a score line extends along said front wall panel generally parallel to the bottom of said front wall panel and about which score line said cutter edge element may be pivoted to a cutting position, said front panel score line is spaced from said cutter element at a distance of more than half the distance between the cutting edge of said cutter element and the bottom of said front wall panel, so that when the cutterelement is pivoted to the bottom of said cutter box it pro ects beyond the bottom panel for effectively cutting sheet material to be dispensed from said cutter box, said front panel extension extends down below said score line to provide a complete enclosure whether said cutting element is in cutting position or in a shielded safety position so that said front panel extension may thus also cooperate with said front wall panel to provide effective means of clamping or gripping the sheet material when the cutter element is in cutting position.

2. The cutter box according to claim 1 wherein said front wall panel includes an upper portion and a lower portion with said upper portion being freely pivotable about said score line and carrying said cutter element and said lower portion being integral with the bottom panel and extending at an angle therewith.

3. The cutter box according to claim 2 wherein said downwardly extending front panel extension of said lid member includes an upper section and a detachable lower section with said upper section being integral with the top panel and extending downwardly therefrom for a distance below said score line and said lower section extending from said upper section along a second score line which facilitates detachment of said lower section to obtain initial access of the contents of said cutter box, said lower section being provided as an original sealing element for the carton.

4. The cutter box according to claim 3 wherein said end ball panels are fixedly secured to adjacent ones of said end flaps and said end flap extensions are fixedly secured to adjacent rearwardly extending end flap members. 

1. A safety dispensing cutter box for sheet material such as waxed paper, plastic film, metal foil or the like in roll form, said box being in the form of a hollow wall structure and comprising a front wall panel, a bottom panel, a rear wall panel, end wall panels, end flaps, a lid member hingedly connected to the top of said rear wall, said lid member including a top panel with downwardly extending end flap extensions and a downwardly extending front panel extension, said front panel extension including rearwardly extending end flap members fixedly attached to adjacent ones of said downwardly extending end flap members to form said lid member, characterized in that a cutter edge element is fixedly secured along the free edge of said front wall panel and a score line extends along said front wall panel generally parallel to the bottom of said front wall panel and about which score line said cutter edge element may be pivoted to a cutting position, said front panel score line is spaced from said cutter element at a distance of more than half the distance between the cutting edge of said cutter element and the bottom of said front wall panel, so that when the cutter element is pivoted to the bottom of said cutter box it projects beyond the bottom panel for effectively cutting sheet material to be dispensed from said cutter box, said front panel extension extends down below said score line to provide a complete enclosure whether said cutting element is in cutting position or in a shielded safety position so that said front panel extension may thus also cooperate with said front wall panel to provide effective means of clamping or gripping the sheet material when the cutter element is in cutting position.
 2. The cutter box according to claiM 1 wherein said front wall panel includes an upper portion and a lower portion with said upper portion being freely pivotable about said score line and carrying said cutter element and said lower portion being integral with the bottom panel and extending at an angle therewith.
 3. The cutter box according to claim 2 wherein said downwardly extending front panel extension of said lid member includes an upper section and a detachable lower section with said upper section being integral with the top panel and extending downwardly therefrom for a distance below said score line and said lower section extending from said upper section along a second score line which facilitates detachment of said lower section to obtain initial access of the contents of said cutter box, said lower section being provided as an original sealing element for the carton.
 4. The cutter box according to claim 3 wherein said end ball panels are fixedly secured to adjacent ones of said end flaps and said end flap extensions are fixedly secured to adjacent rearwardly extending end flap members. 